


2 squirrels and a goose

by thevaliantdust



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: I mean how could I not, Innocent Beginnings, Multi, Polyamory, Polymachina
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-07-24 04:19:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7493574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thevaliantdust/pseuds/thevaliantdust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s a joke at first, a way to pass off their scheming and stick it to some snooty elves. They have a good laugh and forget all about it.</p><p>a.k.a how polymachina becomes more than a passing joke</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It’s a joke at first, a way to pass off their scheming and stick it to some snooty elves. They have a good laugh and forget all about it.

Until two nights later, as they camp out on the edge of some unforgiving terrain, wind howling around them, ground itself turning against them. 

“Why don’t you try flirting with the dirt, De Rolo?” jibes Vax’ildan, quickly met with a sharp elbow to the side from his sister. The truth is they’re all tired and more than a little terrified, and it’s easier to focus on the familiarity of petty squabbles than the overwhelming unknown.

Vex shakes her head, pulling Vax over to a rocky outcropping, the only seemingly stable piece of land for miles. Trinket bounds ahead, eager to set his paws on solid ground. He curls up on the rough stone, head still perked up, waiting. One by one the weary party join him.

Vex settles in the scruff of fur near Trinket’s neck, burying her face in his warmth. Vax settles with his back to Trinket’s, not quite ready to lie down. He watches the others approach. 

Keyleth is next, her bright enthusiasm finally beginning to wear off as she feels the unwelcoming aura of the land settle into her bones. Her gait slows as she approaches the group, seeking something, perhaps an invitation. Vax reaches out his hand to her, tugging her gently to settle in his place next to Trinket, moving instead to wrap himself around her, her back pressed to his front, arms vice-like yet gentle all the same.

Percy, proper fool that he is, takes a seat some few feet from the group, pulling his glasses off his nose and beginning to clean them. Vex catches this with her one open eye and frowns. With a huff, she stands and walks over to Percy, looping her arm through his and giving him a firm tug back towards the group. For a moment it seems he will resist, but he must see something, a need on her face, in her eyes, and instead he acquiesces. He follows her back, waiting for her to settle back down next to Trinket before he lays his head in her lap, his hand finding hers, their fingers entwined.

Grog and Scanlan bring up the rear. Grog furrows his brow at his friends already so closely pieced together. He watches them for a moment as if trying to solve a puzzle, before eventually choosing a spot next to Vax. His arms wrap around Vax much in the same way the half-elf is holding Keyleth, and there is a moment of tension as all those involved decide how to react. 

“Thanks buddy,” Vax murmurs eventually, “I was sorta freezing my balls off.”

Grog half-grunts, half-chuckles a reply. “Yeah well you don’t got much of those to begin with so I figured I better save the ones you got.”

Keyleth giggles and Vax pulls her closer. Scanlan stands back with a knowing look.

“You’ve just got to plant the idea…” he mutters smugly to himself, climbing over Percy’s feet and one of Grog’s gigantic arms as he makes his way to nestle on Trinket’s large rump. 

He lets a hand trail off one side of the bear, falling near Vex’s resting place. She shifts slightly so that his fingers just brush the top of her head.

It’s an odd sort of peace, a more intimate peace, yet something about it settles just right. It’s not until they return to Whitestone that they spend the night apart again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of a million little poly vignettes that go around in my head

They don't really talk about it, it's just something that happens. It usually starts with one or two of them and grows into a pile of limbs twisted together, fingers threaded through hair, heads resting on the rise and fall of chests. Sometimes there's a grunt, a shuffle, maybe a joke that shakes the whole pile. But as a rule they don't talk about it. There's not really any need.

One time Scanlan makes a passing comment, the first time anyone has said the word ‘polyamory’ since all this began. Keyleth makes another polymorph joke, and then it occurs to them all that darling, sweet Keyleth really has no idea. Vex bites her lip to hold back a laugh, and Scanlan looks between them all, waiting to see who is going to be the one to drop the bomb.

Eventually Percy takes pity on her. He steps up behind her, whispering in her ear as the rest of them watch with baited breath for the shoe to drop. Her eyes widen comically.

“But I asked you- back in Syngorn you said-” she stops to think for a minute, brow furrowed deeply.

Vax and Vex share equally concerned looks, as it suddenly occurs to them that Keyleth may have not have been as willing a participant as they thought. Vax steps forward tentatively.

“Kiki, does this bother you?” he asks gently, about to reach for her hand but stopping short. “Because if you don’t want to, I mean if you have a problem with it, you don’t have to- _we_ don’t have to-”

She looks up suddenly from her thoughts, and Vax breaks off from his guilt-ridden babbling. 

“Of course I don’t have a problem with it,” she says simply, as if this should be obvious. Vax’s shoulders drop in relief, and a large unspoken tension in the group dissipates, leaving behind only mild confusion. 

“It’s not like it’s anything new,” Keyleth continues, oblivious. Scanlan cocks his head ever so slightly to the side. Sure they’ve always been close, but the bed sharing, the cuddle piles, the… other stuff… that’s definitely new.

“The Ashari do it all the time,” she finishes, and there is a collective sigh of understanding from the group, some more curious than others. She giggles a little, finally picking up on all the attention focused on her. “I just didn’t know that’s what you call it here. _Someone,_ ” she turns and glares cheekily at Percy, “didn’t bother informing me, I honestly thought it was to do with polymor-”

She cuts off as her cheeks flush to match her hair and she stands, frozen like a deer in headlights. “Oh no,” she says in a tiny voice that makes Vax immediately take a worried step closer, “the guards in Syngorn. The squirrels. The goose! They must think I’m some kind of-”

“-adorable, gorgeous woman,” Vex finishes pointedly, not about to let Keyleth spin out in embarrassment. She steps up, taking Keyleth’s face in her hands and plants a soft kiss to the tip of her nose. “And we wouldn’t have it any other way, darling.”

Keyleth’s cheeks are still bright red as she melts into Vex’s waiting arms. Percy steps up behind her, suppressing laughter as he strokes her hair gently. One by one the group come in closer, creating a big group hug in the centre of the hallway this entire awkward conversation had taken place in.

Eventually the hug breaks apart. Vex loops her arm through Keyleth’s, drawing the druid close to her side. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for bed,” she tells them all. “Cuddle pile in Keyleth’s room?” She waits for Keyleth to nod before she sets off down the hall at her side.

Percy, still chuckling lightly to himself, offers a hand to Pike and makes to follow Vex and Keyleth. As they walk past Vax, Pike slips her other hand into his, drawing him along as well.

Grog sweeps Scanlan up in one smooth motion and pops him on a shoulder. They follow the others, stopping in at Vex and Pike’s rooms to grab their mattresses. Grog has become the unofficial cuddle pile cushion collector, a role he takes a lot of pride in. No one makes blanket forts like Grog Strongjaw.

Once they’ve pushed all the mattresses together on the floor, Keyleth jumps onto the pile of blankets and pillows, transforming midair and landing as a goose.

Everyone stops and trades looks, suddenly worried the entire previous conversation had been somehow misconstrued. In the silence, the goose honks loudly.

They look back to see Keyleth once more, rolling in laughter on the pile of pillows. “I’m just kidding! You should have seen your faces!”

There are a mixed bag of reactions. Some laugh along, some glare fondly. Grog guffaws- whether because he gets the joke or because the goose made a funny sound, no one can be sure. He takes a running leap onto the large bedding pile. Keyleth dodges out of the way at the last second

He lands and rolls onto his back and she clambers on top of him, pinning him down. He lets her, and they both shake with his laughter. Pike runs in next, helping Keyleth pin him down. He brings his arms up around the two ladies, pulling them down to settle against his large chest.

Out of nowhere, Vax swipes Percy’s glasses, and Percy immediately gives chase. “Give them back,” he says in a voice that could almost be considered whining, “you know I’m useless without them!”

“Not entirely useless, darling,” Vex chimes in with a sing-song tone and a wink. She makes her way over to the growing pile of people, kissing Scanlan’s cheek as she passes him. He takes her offered hand. Pike makes room for the two of them to join her as she shuffles off to one side of Grog, using him as a pillow rather than a mattress. Scanlan settles contently between Pike and Vex.

Percy finally manages to catch up with Vax and retrieve his glasses. The rogue waits as Percy puts them on, blinking as his vision clears again, then presses a quick kiss to Percy’s surprised lips. He smiles wickedly at Percy’s startled squeak, taking even more amusement from the way Percy gasps as Vax pushes him backwards to land on the pile of pillows right next to Keyleth. Vax settles down against Percy who shimmies back to back with Keyleth. Grog reaches out and pulls a blanket over the two half-elves and their sandwiched human. Keyleth nuzzles against him in thanks. 

Slowly the energy in the room fades to a contented glow, each person finding the rhythm with those around them. The combination of tangled limbs changes every night, but the trust and love between them is always the same.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently I'm just going to keep writing these? idk
> 
> Things that happen when Polymachina has a bad day

Everyone has bad days. 

On Keyleth’s bad days, she ends up right in the middle of the cuddle pile. Vex covers her in light little kisses to make her smile. Percy sits by her side and reads to her, any book he can find closeby. Grog tells her terrible jokes. Vax pulls her into his lap and holds her close, running his fingers through her hair, whispering in her ear words that no one else ever hears, but by the end there’s always a tiny smile edging its way across her lips.

On Grog’s bad days, Scanlan sings about lady-favours. It’s crass, and the rest of them grimace or scowl in varying degrees, but it makes Grog laugh, so they deem it worth it. Sometimes Keyleth turns into Minxie just to watch Grog’s face light up. Pike sits on his shoulder the whole day, squeezing one of his huge fingers with her tiny hand whenever he reaches up towards her.

On Pike’s bad days she likes to curl up in Grog’s lap. Sometimes Percy reads to her, sometimes he hums something in celestial- ancient and holy, it reminds her there is good mixed in with all the evil in the world. Vex or Vax offer to braid her hair, pressing gentle kisses to the top of her head or her cheeks as they go. Scanlan gives her space. He still joins the group, but he’s quieter than usual. He plays soft notes in the background without singing along, but his eyes never leave her. He waits until he sees the ghost of a smile, when he knows she’s healed enough to laugh, and then he plays her favourite tavern songs, bawdy as ever. No love songs though. He knows it’s not the time.

On Vex’s bad days, Percy tinkers. No matter what, he has something to bring her, a new gadget or pretty bauble, always with a deeper sentiment buried in the gifting. Vax and Scanlan suspect he’s built up a small reserve of novelties just for days like these. Vax pulls her down to sit in front of him, braiding and unbraiding her hair until her breathing evens out and she leans in for a hug. Scanlan hangs around just incase she needs someone to verbally spar with. Vex likes nothing more than a challenge, and Scanlan is always ready. Keyleth gives her surprise hugs throughout the day, and is always the first to pull her close when they go to bed that night.

On Scanlan’s bad days everyone rolls their eyes. Not because they don’t think Scanlan’s feelings are important, but he does choose a terrible way to express them. The crooning lasts from dawn til dusk, or at least until their patience wears thin. Keyleth can’t hold a tune to save her life, but bless her soul, she tries to join in anyway. Pike and Vex both press kisses to Scanlan’s cheeks whenever they enter or leave the room he’s in. Surprisingly, Percy is the best with Scanlan. He sits calmly sketching while the bard churns out melodramatic melodic phrases, chiming in occasionally with a suggestion for a rhyme. 

On Vax’s bad days he wants to be alone, and they let him, for the most part. But if Keyleth happens to be in her garden as he goes past, and his hand finds hers for a gentle squeeze, well, it helps. And if Pike happens to leave the sanctuary door open as she sits bathed in afternoon sun, and if she shuffles over a little as she’s praying to make room, well that helps too. If Percy passes him silently in the hallway and their shoulders brush, if it leads to a fierce, achingly short kiss up against the wall, well maybe it doesn’t fix it, but it’s something. Enough, anyway, that by nightfall he can come back. There’s less talking than usual when they all go to bed, but he’s there, and it’s something.

On Percy’s bad days he wants to be alone, but no one takes a bar of his shit. Keyleth and Pike ambush him with flower crowns, Scanlan tries to bait him with outlandish ideas for new tinkering projects, Grog pours him more ale than one man alone could ever drink. Vex waits around the corner in quiet hallways for those moments Percy escapes the throng. He falls into her arms, nuzzles against her neck, breathes in the earthy forest scent that clings to her- the antithesis of everything he is. She twists her fingers in his hair, rakes them along his scalp and down his back. She lets him stop, lets him breathe, and then leads him back to the others. The cuddle pile that night is always tight, holding Percy close, reminding him he is here, he is safe, he is loved.

**Author's Note:**

> I have so many little vignettes I could write about Polymachina but they're all super innocent and cuddly idk


End file.
